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Welcome to this week’s Midweek Memo, brought to you by Switchboard. In this issue, there’s big news from Tiny, deals in the air for Save Da Sea, influential insights from an influencer, and plenty more.

Now, onto today’s briefing. It’s 829 words, a three-minute read.

-James, @jimmermatthews

P.S. Have you registered for tomorrow’s Victoria Tech Morning Coffee or grabbed your tickets to Jason Fried live in Vancouver yet?

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$2.5M grant integrates Indigenous knowledge into sustainability projects

A UVic-based research team has received a $2.5 million grant to design and advance a sustainability framework for decision-making in Indigenous communities. The framework will ensure Indigenous values, knowledge, and concerns are at the forefront as they assess development proposals on their lands.

“This project is very critical to the empowerment and self-determination of Indigenous governments and peoples,” said Cloy-e-iis Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and a member of the project’s council of senior advisors. “Basing models on traditional knowledge and ways of knowing directs the work to be done and utilizes self-determination to its fullest. Sharing models with other Indigenous communities around the world adds to the richness of what can be contained in the models. Establishing their own indicators on what is important to each Nation is also building on governance and putting the decision making in the hands of the people.”

The Social Sciences Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant will fund The Balance Co-Lab: Collaboration for Sustainable Communities, an international collaboration of Indigenous governments, researchers, and non-governmental organizations (NGO).

"This work can advance Indigenous organizations’ ability to improve decision-making and the capacity to evaluate the impacts of development efforts in ways that are customized to place-based knowledge and needs,” said Matthew Murphy, project director of The Balance Co-Lab and UVic Gustavson School of Business professor of sustainability and strategy. “This advances the ability for Indigenous Peoples to govern their territories in ways that align with their own values and governance practices.”

Building on a system that has been used for five years with Toquaht Nation in B.C., as well as with other communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and Indonesia’s West Papua, they will co-create customized sustainability assessment systems with the goal of enhancing capacity in Indigenous organizations as they build environmental stewardship programs and evaluate development opportunities.

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📰 More Victoria innovation news

🤝 Acquisitive: Tiny has acquired Clean Canvas, a U.K.-based Shopify theme business.

💰 Investable: Victoria’s plant-based seafood company Save Da Sea received investment from the Spring Investing Collective.

📲 Influencer: Taylor Loren joined Victoria-founded First Session’s Actualize podcast to discuss how content creators can set healthy boundaries.

👩‍💼 Victoria tech moves

Major personnel changes, including promotions, hires, and departures:

• Nadia Tatlow, the CEO of Shift, is due to take on her grandest role yet.

• Local biotherapeutic R&D company IPA appointed Barry A. Springer, Dirk Witters, and Chris Buyse to its board of directors while Gregory S. Smith resigned as director.

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Victoria - Innovate Healthcare via Impact Investing

Join the investor journey today! Spring empowers purpose-driven startups at the forefront of innovation, and connects investors to impact. Learn more about how you can invest in the future of health-care.

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Senior Full Stack Developer at Montra Interactive

• Intermediate Full-Stack Developer at Reusables.com

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!

📅 Upcoming events

September 27 | Overcome Your Resistance and Embrace Virtual Networking: iWIST and SCWIST have come together to bring you an opportunity to meet women in STEM and brush up on your networking skills.

September 28 | 2023 VIATEC’s Annual General Meeting of Members And Call for Nominations to the Board of Directors: The AGM will see the announcement of the organization’s newest board members, with networking to follow.

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.

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